


The Queen's Emerald

by milky_red



Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: M/M, The Fabulous Emerald, episode rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 15:25:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19112473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milky_red/pseuds/milky_red
Summary: Moomintroll has a dream that leads him and Snufkin to a fabulous Emerald behind the waterfall! He's delighted to share a secret treasure with his best friend, but will they be able to keep it? Based on episode 75, The Fabulous Emerald!





	1. The Secret Emerald

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello! This fic is a sort of rewrite/redux of The Fabulous Emerald from The Moomins anime based on this analysis of it- https://jamiewoolleyart.tumblr.com/post/185073023200/the-hobgoblins-really-out-there-constantly  
> You might wanna watch the episode beforehand in case I missed some details, but it's not required to understand the fic or anything!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“It looks as if we should be right behind the waterfall by now.” Snufkin observed, looking nowhere in particular. 

His companion Moomintroll took it as a cue to look around for anything of note, but all he saw were damp, slimy walls on his left, and the curtain of rushing water on his right.

“Can’t see anything special.” He noted. The two of them had risen early to look for something in the caves behind the waterfall, but neither of them knew what it was. You see, Moomin had a dream the other night about this very waterfall, where a strange voice guided him to look in the waterfall to find...something. It was a strange and silly dream, but something like that is not to be taken lightly! So he asked Snufkin to go with him to explore the waterfall, which is what led them here at the crack of dawn.

“Let’s go a bit further then.” Snufkin replied with his usual unflappable calm that Moomintroll oh-so admired. Someone like Sniff or Little My would have been clinging to the wall for fear of slipping, or complaining about the moist, stiff air of the cavern, or plugging their ears to block out the roar of the waterfall, but not Snufkin. No matter what the situation, Snufkin always kept his cool and maneuvered his way through like he’d done it a million times! Moomin pondered this thought as they rounded the corner and traversed further into the waterfall’s hidden chamber.

“What’s that?” Moomin exclaimed as they came upon a strange green aura nestled in the heart of the cavern.

“What’s what?” Snufkin replied.

“There’s a strange green glow!” The green light seemed to get brighter and brighter as they approached until they identified its source- a large green rock, radiating a brilliant teal aura that illuminated everything around it with its glow.

“It must be an Emerald.” Snufkin observed as he picked it up.

“It’s beautiful!” Moomin stared bug-eyed at large jewel, it had to be as big as Little My’s head!

“So you must have been looking for an Emerald, Moomin.” Snufkin said, referencing Moomin’s (somewhat) prophetic dream that had led them here.

“No I wasn’t!” 

“Well what else could it have been?” The two looked around the empty caverns once more.

“There’s nothing else.” Moomin conceded, but he wasn’t convinced. For whatever reason, he just had some sort of nagging feeling in his gut that the huge gem, despite its beauty, was not the reason for his being drawn to this place.

“Here.” Snufkin attempted to hand off the glimmering Emerald to Moomintroll.

“W-Wait just a minute!” Moomin put his hands up, “I was just about to say you should have it.”

“Really? But Moomin, you were the one who had the dream about this place, it obviously wants you to have it. Besides, I wouldn’t know what to do with it, I don’t really have any use for pretty rocks.” Snufkin once again pushed the Emerald to Moomin.

“Hmmm…” Moomin looked down at the big, beautiful rock now in his hands. “I’m not really sure what to do with it either…it’s much too big to give to Snorkmaiden…it might make a good paperweight, but I never get any letters!”

The two friends looked down at their reflections in the lovely, but seemingly worthless gemstone. It certainly was bigger than the average Emerald, and was likely incredibly valuable, but what did that matter to them? Neither one of them had much use for money, nor for big rocks whose only real purpose was to sit still and look pretty. Someone like Sniff might appreciate it, but he'd likely just sell it off to make a quick buck, which would be a bit of a waste. Moomintroll considered giving it to Moominmamma, but she always turned away fancy gifts like Pearls or jewelry. Moominpappa would insist his son keep it, Little My wouldn't have much use for it, and giving it to Stinky was just out of the question! The two of them were at a loss for what to do with it, before Moomin had an idea.

“Well… if neither of us has any use for it, why don’t we just let it stay here?” Moomin went to put the Emerald back in the crevice it had made for itself in the dirt, “And it’ll be our secret!”

“Our secret you say?” Snufkin smirked and put his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah! Our secret behind the waterfall! A treasure that only we know about! Doesn’t that sound exciting?”

“Well…I suppose keeping a secret is far more exciting than any gemstone.” Moomintroll’s face lit up at this.

“From now on, we have a secret!” He gasped as took Snufkin’s hands in his own, “Something only for the two of us to know about! Do you swear on to never tell anybody?” Moomin tried to look serious, but was foiled by his utterly adorable enthusiasm. “Swear on your life!”

“Cross my heart.” Snufkin made an X-motion across his chest before retaking Moomin’s hand.

“Good!” Moomin tried to retain some composure, but he couldn’t stop a wide smile from spreading across his face, nor the fit of giggles that followed. The whole scene was so sweet and ridiculous that Snufkin ended up breaking into a giggle fit of his own. Their laughter reverberated throughout the caves, but was drowned out by the rush of the waterfall, keeping their joy secret and safe from the rest of the world. For a moment, the two of them stood with their hands intertwined, giggling at their newfound secret as the Emerald bathed them in its soft green glow. 

“Help!” A voice called, breaking up the shared laughter.

“Someone’s calling us!” Snufkin noted as another call rang out, “From other there I think!”

“Heee-eeeelp! Help me Moomin! Help me Snufkin!”

“It’s Stinky!” The two of them rushed off to find the troublesome creature, holding hands all the way. They found the little fuzzball clinging for his life on a cliff facing the waterfall; Stinky was sandwiched between the slimy, slippery wall in front of him, and countless tons of rushing water behind him.

"Please help me!" Moomintroll and Snufkin looked down upon him from higher ground.

"Well I certainly didn't dream about saving him! What's he doing here?" Moomin was a little bit incensed on Stinky interrupting him and Snufkin's private trip.

"He must have been following us since this morning." The ever-wise Snufkin pointed out.

"Stop chatting, for goodness sake and help me!!"

I won't bore you with the details of the daring rescue, but rest assured, Snufkin and Moomin saved him from a watery grave, and he proceeded to pester the two about what they'd been doing.

“Just what was so valuable that you two were poking around here for?!” Stinky demanded.

“Oh Stinky it was nothing.” Moomintroll tried to walk past him, “We just wanted to do a little exploring today, that’s all.”

“Yeah, right!” Stinky moved in front of his path, “You go out at the crack of dawn and snoop around in the middle of nowhere just cause you wanna explore? I’m no idiot! There must be some sorta treasure in there and if you won’t tell me, then i’ll go find it myself!”

“Go right ahead.” Snufkin walked past the both of them, “But don’t expect us to come save you if you end up slipping again.”

“Yeah!” Moomin pushed past the smelly puffball, “You’re on your own there, Stinky!”

Moomin shared a smile with Snufkin as he caught up with the mumrik. Meanwhile, Stinky looked back-and-forth between the waterfall’s caves and Snufkin & Moomin, weighing his options.

“H-Hey! Hey guys! Wait for me!”

——————————————————————————————-

“So, did anything exciting happen on your expedition today?” Moominpapa asked as the family ate dinner.

“Hm? Oh no, nothing really.” Moomin kept his eyes on his dinner plate, trying to keep a smile from creeping onto his face as the events of the day played in his memory, “We just had a nice walk and enjoyed our lunch by the waterfall. That’s about it!”

“Are you sure?” Moominpapa probed, “Got up a bit early for just a simple hike, now didn’t you?”

“Y-yes well, uh, Snufkin and I wanted to be able to see the sun as it rose over the Lonely Mountains!” 

“Well, i’m sure it was a lovely way to spend the morning.” Moominmama said, taking Moomin and Papa’s empty plates, Moomin sighed a bit in relief at his mothers interjection. It wasn't like him to keep secrets from his parents, but this was a special case!

“Yes well,” Moominpapa continued after his wife went into the kitchen, “Still a bit strange to take a trip like that so suddenly just to see the sunrise. Are you absolutely sure you didn’t come across anything unusual? Hmmmmm?”

Salvation came in the form of a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it!” Moomintroll practically leapt out of his seat to open the door. To his surprise, his very best friend stood on the other side. “Snufkin!”

“Good evening Moomin.” Snufkin responded with his usual calm smile. “Hello to you too, Moominpapa!” He called over Moomin’s shoulder.

“Oh Snufkin, good evening!” The older Moomin responded.

“Oh is that Snufkin?” Moominmama emerged from the kitchen, “How are you tonight, dear? Is there anything we can do for you?”

“Yes, sorry for the sudden intrusion.” Moomin let Snufkin in, “I just wanted to know if you had any coffee beans I could borrow? I have wake up early to head to the west tomorrow morning.”

“Wh-What?!” Moomin gasped, still holding the door open.

“Yes of course, just wait here one minute.” Moominmama answered with her own usual calm demeanor. Moominpapa went with her into the kitchen to avoid the drama that was likely to unfold between their son and his best friend (but he kept his ears open in case things got good.)

“Snufkiiiin! Why are you leaving now? It’s only Summer!”

“I know that Moomin.” Snufkin was seemingly unfazed by his friend’s sudden sadness, “But the cards told me that if I discovered anything new today, then i’d be heading west before the next full moon. And well…” He gave his friend a discreet wink.

“Oh those rotten cards!” Moomin threw down his hands in frustration, “What good are they? Always telling you what to do like this!”

“Alright, here we go.” Moominmama came out with a tin of coffee beans for the mumrik, “Do try and have a safe trip dear!”

“Thank you Moominmama.” Snufkin took the tin and turned to leave, “I’ll see you later Moomin, I shouldn’t be too long in any case.”

“Wait! Snufkin!” But the mumrik just walked right out of the house, paying no heed to his friend’s discomfort. “Ohh…” Moomintroll leaned against the doorway, watching his friend disappear into the night.

“He’ll be back Moomin.” Mama put her hands on son’s shoulders, and observed Snufkin’s departure with him. “After all, you two are very close. I can’t imagine he’d want to be away for very long.” 

“…I think i’ll go to bed now Mama.” Moomintroll sulked off to his room, not even acknowledging his mother as she cried, “Sleep well!” to him. He knew she was probably right, after all, he was Snufkin's best friend, and Snufkin wasn't the type to just abandon someone. But that didn't mean it hurt any less whenever he decided he didn't want to stay in Moominvalley...with Moomintroll. He tried to shake those thoughts out of his head, Snufkin wouldn't stay in Moominvalley if he didn't like Moomin! But...it was impossible not to think that way when Snufkin left, going to see places and people that would fill his head with lovely memories, no doubt pushing out the ones of lazy days with Moomintroll. Upon reaching his bed, Moomin wrapped himself in his sheets and comforter like a cocoon, and stared out the window. Maybe he wasn't being fair to Snufkin...after all, how could he ask Snufkin to choose between Moominvalley, and the rest of the world? That'd be a cruel thing to do, even if Snufkin WASN'T a wanderer by nature! But no matter how Moomin tried to look at it, to be fair to Snufkin and be rational, that still couldn't stop the swirling pit of sadness and doubt gathering in his tummy.  
Moomin didn’t fall asleep right away. In fact, he was up for hours tossing and turning even as his parents turned in for the night themselves. No matter how he tried to relax or reposition himself, he just couldn’t get rid of that pit of negativity resting in his stomach. Sighing, he flipped onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, resigning himself to a night of insomnia.

“Oh Snufkin…” Why did his best friend never seem to want to stick around? Was it something Moomin was doing? Maybe Moomin was annoying? Or asked too many questions? Well… he wouldn’t ask so many questions if Snufkin would just open up a bit more! It felt like the mumrik was always keeping secrets from him.

“Secrets…” He mumbled to himself, before sitting up, “Secrets!” Suddenly, he got an idea! Throwing his covers off, he creeped over to his closet and grabbed an umbrella. Then, he opened his window as slowly as possible to ensure it wouldn’t creak, and climbed down his rope ladder. Once he reached the ground, he stared at his house for just a moment to see if he had woken anyone. When no lights were turned on and there was no sign of anyone stirring awake, he rushed off!  
He scampered to the bridge, then came to a stop as soon as he saw Snufkin's tent, worried that the mumrik was still awake. However, his fire pit looked to have been doused long ago, and there were no signs of movement within his tent. Nevertheless, Moomintroll tiptoed across the bridge and past Snufkin's tent, only resuming his run after he was a good distance away from the campsite. Of course he had to repeat the same process when he went past the Hemulen's house and Stinky's sleeping rock, but he soon made it to The Lonely Mountains. Sure enough, their Emerald was exactly where the two friends had left it, resting in its bed of dirt, bathing the everything around it in its glow. Moomintroll stood crouched over it, with his umbrella protecting him from the water droplets falling from the cavern walls, and he admired the jewel’s majesty. The deep green reminded him of the hills of Moominvalley, of how the ocean shined a brilliant teal when the light hit it just right, and of Snufkin. He never asked, but he'd always assumed green to be the mumrik's favorite color.

“Snufkin…” He murmured, remembering the light and laughter the two of them had shared here just a few hours ago, “Why doesn’t he ever wanna stay?”

The Emerald, of course, said nothing in return. Even so, staring at the magnificent gem made Moomin think back once to the earlier moment he’d experienced with Snufkin, then to the quiet moments the two shared as they traversed the mountain. Gazing at the Emerald seemed to open the floodgates of Moomin’s memory, as he reminisced on laying in the grass with Snufkin for hours, talking about nothing in particular. About swimming together in the sea on hot days, about hikes through the forest and runs through meadows, about secrets shared and words exchanged that only two best friends could understand. A sleepy smile spread across his face, and his eyelids started to feel heavy, but he wasn’t quite ready to leave yet. Even as calm began to take over, there was still a niggling feeling in his tummy, making him feel insecure and unhappy that wouldn’t seem to go away.

"He’ll be back." The Emerald seemed to whisper, "He’ll be back. He always comes back."

All at once a blissful tranquility washed over him, as a newfound sense of security rested over Moomin's doubts and worry.   
“He’ll be back…he always comes back.” Moomin yawned as he stood up.

With that, he finally felt ready to get some sleep. Before he left, he looked one last time at the Emerald, his and Snufkin’s secret treasure. Another big, sleepy smile spread across his face crept onto his face and stayed there even as he trekked home. All he thought about on the way home was the secret he now shared with Snufkin. They’d always been best friends, but now they shared something, a treasure that only they knew about. No matter how far away Snufkin went, the Emerald would always be there, reminding Moomin of the good times shared and the ones yet to come.


	2. The Secret Language

Moomintroll floated idly on his back, staring up at the cerulean sky as the cool sea carried him while he drifted along. Moomin was having one of those perfect days, where everything seems to fall into place all on its own and there’s no need for any sort of worry. He let out a contented sigh, the voices of Snorkmaiden and Sniff had long faded into background noise as the group of friends enjoyed their afternoon at the beach. A big smile spread across his face as his thoughts drifted to the Emerald behind the waterfall. There was just something so exciting about having a secret; everything felt so much bigger and important, as you kept careful watch over yourself to make sure you didn’t let it slip. But the only thing better than keeping a secret, was keeping it with your best friend! A faint pink blush bloomed along Moomin’s snout as he thought of Snufkin. Even though Snufkin wasn't here, and Moomin didn't know when he'd be back, he was still in a good mood! It was like, the thought of the Emerald transformed his longing into expectancy. No matter how far the vagabond traveled, he and Moomin would always be linked by the secret they shared- the beautiful Emerald that was meant for nobody except them.   
'I think i’ll visit it later.' He thought to himself; the thought of his and Snufkin’s secret treasure filled him with a sort of happiness that he couldn’t explain, but enjoyed nonetheless as he closed his eyes and the world seemed to crawl to a still…

“HEY!”

Which was all promptly shattered when Little My jumped onto his stomach, which caused his head to become submerged.

“L-Little My!” He yelled as his head came back up, “What is the matter with you?!”

“What’s got you so happy?” She said, unfazed.

“W-What? What are you talking about?! I’m not happy right now!”

“No, but you sure were earlier! And that’s weird because you’re NEVER this happy when Snufkin’s gone! Usually you just mope around until he comes back, but today you’ve been going around with that big smile on your face! So what gives?”

A bright red blush crept across Moomin’s face, was he really that easy to read?

“W-Well, so what? I’m just in a good mood today! Is that so wrong?” He crossed his arms, defensive. Little My stamped her foot down.

“You know what I mean! It’s not normal for you to be in a good mood when Snufkin’s gone! So what are you hiding?”

“Moomintroll! Little My!” Sniff called over from the rocky shore. “Swim back! I think it’s gonna start raining!”

Only now did Moomintroll notice the black storm clouds that had gathered while he was lost in thought. A crackle of thunder sounded.

“Uh oh. I think we’d better head back to shore My!”

“Hey! Don’t try to avoid the topic at hand! What is it that you’re keeping from us?”

“Little My, c’mon! We need to get back to shore before it starts raining!”

“Oh, please! It’s still perfectly warm out, and besides you’re not gonna get any wetter!”

Some divine force must have been listening in on that conversation because as soon as Little My said that, it started hailing.

“Ah! Ahh! What kinda rain is this?!” Little My screamed as she tried to cover her head.

“Oh no, it’s hailstones!” 

Moomintroll dove underwater to avoid the ice flakes and swam to the shoreline with Little My on his back, and they scurried to find shelter. Soon enough, all four friends found refuge from the storm in the nearby cave. Sniff had a nasty bump on his head, Snorkmaiden had gotten a few scrapes, and Moomintroll had one or two little cuts, but otherwise they were fine. So there they sat huddled together, shivering, trying to retain any warmth as they watched the hailstorm ravage outside.

“I hope Snufkin hasn’t gotten himself caught in this storm…” Moomintroll mumbled. For a split second he was afraid Little My heard him and would start the previous conversation back up, but she just stared at the hailstorm happening outside of the cave. Moomin gave a little sigh of relief, at least his Emerald was safe behind the waterfall…

——————————————————————————————-

The hailstorm ended as suddenly as it began, luckily nobody had been seriously injured in the storm. Unfortunately the Hemulen’s prized garden, the one he’d spend years cultivating and filling with all kinds of rare and exotic flowers, was ravaged beyond repair. The poor creature had passed out right in front of his house and had to be carried home by Moomin and his friends. He only briefly woke up to inform them of his tragedy, before passing out again. The Hemulen in question was currently under the watchful eye of Moominmamma, while her husband and son went to his house to see what could be done. When they got there, they could see that it was indeed as bad as the Hemulen made it out to be.

“If we could re-plant everything, that’d be a start!” Moomintroll said as he and his papa surveyed the damage. At present, there was absolutely no way of saving the garden in its current state; the flowers that had bloomed out front had been trampled and sliced into pieces by the hailstones, and the windows of his greenhouse had been broken beyond repair, assuring that any plants that hadn't been ruined by the hail were instead ruined by the broken glass shards that had flown everywhere.

“Mm, true.” Moominpappa pondered, “But remember, the Hemulen’s garden was filled with flowers he collected from all over the world! It could take a lifetime to replace them all!”

“Hmmm…” Was all Moomintroll said in response. The Hemulen in question was currently passed out on their couch back home, a Hemulen's joy in life was to create their own little corner of interest, and keep it well-loved and cared for until the end. If they didn’t think of someway to repair the damage, he might never recover…

“I know!” Moomin gasped, “We’ll do it by magic!”

“Magic?” Moominpappa responded, but Moomin had run off before offering any further explanation.

Moomintroll would admit, it was a big of a longshot, but there wasn’t any harm in asking Alicia’s grandmother for help! They were on good enough terms as to where she, at the very least, wouldn’t cast a hex on him for making such a request! Running into the Witches Forest all his own had been scary, he'd admit, but he had to do it for poor Mr Hemulen! When he got to the witches hut, he found her with her arm in a sling and bandaged all around her head; likely from the aforementioned hailstorm. Nevertheless, he told her and Alicia all about the situation with the Hemulen’s garden, about his ravaged greenhouse and ruined plants, and about how he took it so hard that he fainted in the middle of the valley!

“What’s the point in coming here and telling me about The Hemulen’s bad luck?” She said after a pause, “I’ve got problems of my own!”

“But he’s so depressed, he won’t even get up! We’re so worried!” Moomin protested.

“Doesn’t increase my powers!” She replied simply, while Alicia gave Moomin a sympathetic look.

Moomintroll just stood there dumbly and fiddled with paws, if she couldn’t help…who could? By the sound of it, it'd take a miracle to help Mr Hemulen...suddenly, his ears perked!

“W-well if you can’t help, do you think maybe, if it’s not too much trouble, you could help us get a hold of The Hobgoblin?”

“The Hobgoblin?”

“Oh yes! You see, he once granted me and my friends all of our wishes, no matter what they were! I’m sure he could help us repair the Hemulen’s damaged garden, if you’d be so kind as to help us get a hold of him!”

“Oh please do, grandma!” Alicia went to stand beside Moomintroll for support, “It’s the least we could do to help poor Mr Hemulen!”

“Ughh…” Alicia’s grandmother was helpless against the combined might of Moomintroll and her granddaughter, “Fine…but you know I might not find him, and he might not be willing to help! So i’m not making any promises!”

Nevertheless, she rose from her seat and soon was off with her broom to find the elusive Hobgoblin.

——————————————————————————————-

It took some time, but the witch was true to her word and told The Hobgoblin he was needed in Moominvalley. The sun was going down the hill, covering the valley it’s orange shadow by the time he made his appearance. Moominmamma was inside caring for Mr. Hemulen, and Moomintroll was sitting on the steps of his house with all his friends when they saw The Hobgoblin appear over the horizon, riding his panther.

“I only hope he’s in a fairly good mood this evening…” Moominpappa murmured as The Hobgoblin descended upon them.

“I don’t think he’s ever in a good mood, that’s just his nature! Except when he got the King’s Ruby!” Little My recalled, referencing the time they helped The Hobgoblin retrieve the elusive Ruby he'd spend years trying to find.

Just like that, The Hobgoblin’s panther landed right in front of them, allowing their master to dismount from them.

“I understand i’ve been summoned?”

“Yes, we need your help Mr. Hobgoblin!” Moominpapa said, not leaving the verandah.

“One minute. I’m not the kind of person who takes kindly to being summoned by anyone, my good man!”

“Of course not!” Pappa approached the tall figure, “We’re very sorry sir, but these are extreme circumstances!”

“No one else can help us, but you performed such incredible things before, Mr Hobgoblin!” Moomin chimed in.

“There was a reason for it.” The Hobgoblin turned away from him, “You had done me a great service. However take note, I do not make house calls at the drop of my hat. And you’ve already been richly rewarded for the service you did me in the past!”

Moominpappa and Moomintroll shared a look.

“Can’t we do you another service?”

“…No, no.” 

“We could try!”

“No, no. It’s true you were able to bring me luck once, but not twice.”

“Couldn’t you at least tell us what it is that you want?” Moomintroll called over, “This is so very important to us!”

“…Oh very well then.” The Hobgoblin turned after a pause, “It was through you that I got ahold of The King’s Ruby that time, it was most welcome. Now i’m looking for another! A most amazing Emerald that once belong to the Queen!”

Moomin’s ear twitched upon hearing this. He only knew of one Emerald that was as big and beautiful as the King's Ruby...

“If you can give me that, i’ll do whatever you ask!”

“I see…” Moomin stared down at the grass, “…and you’re absolutely sure that’s what you want?”

“More than anything!”

“Alright, if that’s what it takes…” Moomintroll sighed, “Wait here! I’ll be right back!”

Moomin ran off, ignoring the calls of “Wait!” “What?” and “Where are you going?” from his friends and father.

——————————————————————————————-

The sky had turned a lovely shade of lavender by the time Moomin had reached the waterfall. Moomin tried to ignore the pangs of sadness he felt at the thought of what needed to be done, as he traversed the caverns alone, and just focus on helping Mr Hemulen. After all, helping a friend was much more valuable than some shiny rock, right? Right. Besides, Snufkin would understand, he always hated the idea of keeping things you don’t need, he probably thought the whole thing was silly to begin with! Moomin forced himself to chuckle, as he rounded the corner to the heart of the cavern. However something was different this time, there was no soft green glow illuminating the cavern walls. Moomin felt his stomach drop as realized this, he rushed forward to where his Emerald had been, but it was gone, there was only an ident in the dirt left to indicate it had ever been there. His breath quickened, somebody had taken the Emerald. Somebody had found his and Snufkin’s secret! But…but who? The only creatures who had been behind the waterfall were him, Snufkin, and…

“Stinky!”

The black, fluffy creature in question turned to see the normally docile Moomintroll charging towards him like a bull seeing red.

“Waahh!” He had no idea why Moomintroll was chasing him, but he ran anyways. Unfortunately for him, Moomin was faster than he looked.

“Stinky!” Moomin grabbed him, “Where is it? What did you do with my Emerald?!”

“Gah! I dunno what you’re talking about! What Emerald?!”

“Don’t play dumb, Stinky!” He growled, “The Emerald behind the waterfall, the one that only Snufkin and I knew about! You followed us there, I know you took it!!!”

Stinky wrestled himself out of Moomin’s grasp and jumped back onto solid ground, “Listen here, I haven’t been to that waterfall since you guys went there! Treasure or not, I don’t fancy risking my skin, so you’ve got the wrong guy!”

Moomin’s breath came in pants as he started to calm down. He didn’t trust Stinky even a little…but he could tell the little fuzzball wasn’t lying this time. “S..Sorry Stinky…I-I was wrong to accuse you…”

“Yeah, you’re sorry! Imagine, accusing me of something I didn’t do, you’re worse than I am!” And with that, Stinky bounded off on his own, leaving Moomintroll to ponder who could have stolen Emerald.  
If it wasn't Stinky, maybe it was Sniff? After all, his friend had a great love of jewels and wouldn't know the Emerald belonged to him and Snufkin...but he couldn't honestly see Sniff making the trek up the waterfall by himself. Nor Little My, or Snorkmaiden, or any of his other friends! He couldn't imagine a single creature in the valley that would have found it and taken it, so it would've had to have been someone Moomin didn't know! But...but that meant...Moomin had no way of finding it, he was never going to see it again. The pit of doubt and sadness that had made its home in Moomin's stomach the other night reappeared, and covered Moomin's whole being, as he had no choice but to go home empty-handed.  
The sky was now turning a deep shade of blue, and the stars started to come out of hiding. Moomintroll walked home all by himself, with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. How was he going to explain himself to everybody? How could he tell Mr Hemulen that he would never get his prized garden back? But worst of all, what would he say to Snufkin? How could he tell him that their secret treasure was gone? That somebody had stolen it, and they’d never see it again? What would Snufkin say? What would he think of Moomintroll? Moomin had reached his house before he knew it, but he didn’t dare go up the steps. Through the window, he could see his mother serving his father and The Hobgoblin tea, everyone seemed to be chatting and having a wonderful time, blissfully unaware of Moomin's failure. He turned away and sat on one of the steps, what could he possibly say for himself? A sniffle escaped him, then two, then his eyes welled with tears, finally he put his face in his arms and started crying.  
Unbeknownst to everyone, Snufkin was coming up the path to Moominhouse at that very moment. His trip to the west complete, the young mumrik stood across the bridge from Moominhouse; he was starting to set up camp again, when saw his best friend sitting on the verandah. He took off his hat to wave to Moomin, but the troll didn’t respond. Upon further inspection, Snufkin realized that his best friend was curled in on himself, shaking like a leaf. The mumrik's stomach dropped as he realized Moomin was crying. Snufkin started towards Moominhouse, then quickened his pace, then broke into a light jog. Moomintroll looked up when he heard the sound of footsteps, to see Snufkin running up the path to Moominhouse. Moomin immediately leapt up and started running towards him as well.

“Snufkin!” He yelled, tears and snot streaming down his face.

“Moomin!” Snufkin yelled in turn. The two met in the middle with a firm embrace. Snufkin had wrapped his arms around Moomin's shoulders, allowing the young troll to bury his head in the mumrik's shirt, while Moomin clung Snufkin's waist as if his life depended on it. For a moment the two friends just stood there, Moomin crying into Snufkin’s shoulder.

“Moomin, what happened?” Snufkin looked to his friend, “Is everything alright? What’s got you so upset?”

“Ohh Snufkin!” He sobbed, “It’s awful! Just awful! O-Our Emerald! Our secret! Somebody stole it! It’s gone for good!” He resumed crying into Snufkin’s shoulder.

“What? M-Moomin-”

“I’m sorry, Snufkin! It’s all my fault! If I hadn’t decided to leave it there, then…then…” Moomin stopped himself as he heard the door to his house open. There, standing in the archway, was the tall figure of The Hobgoblin. He took note of the empty-handed Moomintroll currently sharing a tearful embrace with that mumrik.

“Well. This has been lovely. But i’m afraid if you don’t have the Queen’s Emerald, I must be on my way.”

“W-Wait! M-Mr Hobgoblin, sir!” Moomin scrambled over to the cloaked figure, “Are you sure there’s nothing else you want? Anything you want, we’d be happy to get if you just-”

“No.” He said firmly (but not unkindly), “There’s nothing I want except for that Emerald. If you don’t have it, then that’s it.”

“What’s this about an Emerald?” Snufkin approached The Hobgoblin, who could only sigh in frustration.

“Well, your friend there called me about an emergency regarding a friend’s ruined garden. I’ve told him and them,” He looked over to Moomins friends and family who were watching the whole thing from the verandah, “i’ll only perform such a miracle if i’m given something I want in exchange. The only thing i’m looking for is The Queen’s Emerald, an Emerald unlike all others. If you don’t have it, then i’ll be on my way.” With that, he turned to mount his panther.

“Wait.” Snufkin said, with a seriousness that no one had ever heard him use. It was enough to get everyone, including The Hobgoblin, to pause and look at him. He then put his backpack down and started fishing around in it, within a moment, he pulled out a large, glimmering Emerald the likes of which no one had ever seen.   
“Is this what you’re looking for?” 

Everyone gasped as the radiant gem in Snufkin’s hands.

“Snufkin…” Moomin’s eyes widened as a tear slid down his cheek, “You had it…?”

“Incredible!” The Hobgoblin took the Emerald in his hands, “I’ve been looking for this for centuries! The Queen’s Emerald, and it’s all mine!”

Everyone on the verandah cheered as the Hobgoblin held up his prize. Moomin couldn’t see Snufkin’s expression though, because the mumrik kept staring at the ground.

——————————————————————————————-

Snufkin stared at the reflection of the moon in the river, as he sat on the railing of the Moomin's bridge. He had declined going to see The Hobgoblin fixing The Hemulen’s garden, so he was all by himself at the moment. He sighed, and gazed up at the stars glimmering against the pitch-black sky, shining with an intensity that not even his Emerald could’ve matched. The mumrik only had the cool night air to keep him company, at least until Moomintroll came running back up the path.

“Snufkin!” Moomin came to sit next to him, “We did it! The Hobgoblin fixed up Mr Hemulen’s garden like he said! You can barely tell anything happened to it!” Moomin explained, with an enthusiasm that didn’t quite seem genuine.

“Mm.” Snufkin gave him a small smile, before returning his attention to the river.

“Yeah…” Moomintroll followed his gaze, “It’s a good thing you kept our Emerald safe for Mr. Hobgoblin…” Snufkin didn’t respond. The two friends shared a lengthy pause.

“…Can I ask you something?”

“What is it Moomin?” Snufkin didn’t look up.

“Why did you take our Emerald in the first place? I-I’m not mad or anything! But, well, you don’t really like to hold onto anything you don’t need and you said you couldn’t use it for anything, so um…”

“It’s silly…” Snufkin said, softly, “…I was getting ready to leave for my trip, and I got to thinking about the Emerald. About someone like Stinky finding it and taking it for themselves…and I started to get a bit nervous.” A blush started to spread across Snufkin’s face, “I didn’t intend to keep it…I just wanted to know it was safe. It’s ridiculous, but I couldn’t stand the thought of somebody else finding it…finding…”

“Our secret treasure?” Moomintroll offered. As he said that Snufkin’s eyes rose to meet his. They held each other’s gaze for a moment.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter now…” Snufkin looked back down, and the silence resumed.

“…Y’know, I feel sorry for that Mr. Hobgoblin!” Moomintroll said, prompting Snufkin to give him a quizzical look, “He can never find what he’s looking for on his own! He always has to wait for someone else to find it and give it to him! Maybe if he had a best friend to look with him, he’d find it quicker!”

Snufkin smiled at this, “I suppose so, Moomintroll.”

“Anyway!” Moomin swiveled his legs around to turn and face the sky, “I’m just glad he didn’t ask to take our real treasure!”

“Huh?” Snufkin turned as well, “What are you talking about Moomin?”

“Our other secret treasure! Y’know, the great big Pearl we keep in the sky!” He pointed to the moon.

Realization hit Snufkin and he broke into a goofy sort of laughter, which Moomin happily joined in with. The two best friends sat there, laughing like fools at Moomin’s (kind of corny) joke, not caring who heard them. As their laughter died down to jovial giggles, Snufkin rested his head on Moomin’s shoulder, who then rested his own head on Snufkin’s, and the two stared up at the Moon together. They sat there with their arms around each other for hours, in what would seem to be silence to an onlooker, but was actually a language that only they could understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


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